Stronger Together
by Xindo
Summary: The arrival of two new students to Marinette's class begins a chain of events that alters all the rules and brings Ladybug and Chat Noir into more danger than they've ever faced before. This is my first time writing fanfiction, feedback is appreciated. Thank you.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"C'mon, Nathan, we're going to be late!"

The morning sun streamed into the boys' bedroom as one young man frantically threw on a shirt and tugged on socks while trying to find his back-to-school supplies. The other lay motionless and unmoving under the covers, dead asleep.

A well-aimed textbook woke him with a start, and he sat up, blinking.

"Did you have to wake me up?"

Another book hit him across the face, accompanied by a groan.

"School starts in fifteen minutes; did you _want _to be late?"

Zane continued looking for his backpack as an expression of sheer shock crept over his brother's face.

"Oh, no!" And Nathan promptly toppled off the bed in his haste to get up.

Zane threw some clothes at the prone figure. "Don't take too long!" he cried, and dashed to the kitchen for some breakfast, leaving his brother tangled up in his blankets.

_Oh sure, I won't_, Nathan thought in embarrassment, his cheeks flushed as he pulled on his pants and followed his brother.

The ride there was quiet, despite attempts by Zane to force a conversation. He wanted to discuss the city, its culture, what could happen on their first day, and whether they would meet some new friends soon. Nathan listened to his brother's prattle, and thought about his home and family, wishing he could be there. He hadn't wanted to move at all, in fact, he dislike the whole thing. Regardless of his parents' new job, he had hoped to stay at his old home, instead of leaving for an entirely different city and people.

Nathan sighed in disappointment and resignation. Too late to turn back now.

Walking into the Collège Françoise Dupont was a lesson in patience and perseverance. Everyone else seemed to know each other, and everyone else also knew where to go. Zane and Nathan looked around for directions or a map, but found nothing in the large, open-air courtyard in the center of the college. Then, a young man with a blue shirt, colorful bracelets, and a baseball cap approached them.

"What's up, dudes? First day here?" he said.

Zane looked up from his notebook, where he had been diligently re-reading his research on the College. "Yeah, actually. Could you help us find our way around?"

The boy grinned widely, "Sure thing, what class are you part of?"

Zane looked back down at his notes, pointing out a line circled in red marker. "Um, it says right here, but I have no idea where that is."

The stranger looked at Zane's handwriting as well, curious, before a look of surprise crossed his face.

"Dude, that's my class. I can take you straight there."

Zane looked up in surprise. "Really?"

The boy grinned widely. "Yeah, though you'll want to hurry. You're cutting it really close."

Zane stared at him in bemusement. It wasn't every day you just walk into a school and instantly find your classroom, much less a student willing to talk to a stranger. _In fact_, Zane thought hopefully as he considered this, _it spoke well for a good life in Paris after all. _Zane gave a wide grin to the boy in thanks and had begun to follow him up the stairs the second floor balcony before something occurred to him.

"Wait, hold on!"

The boy paused on the uppermost step and turned back to Zane.

"What was your name, again?"

A rueful smile made its appearance this time, as the boy rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Name's Nino. Yours?'

"Zane, and this is Nathan."

"Good to meet you both, now come on before we're all late," Nino said with a laugh.

As the trio walked into their classroom, several students looked up, curious about the new arrivals. Several turned back to their books after a few moments, although some raised a hand in greeting to the newcomers. A couple, however, made their way down toward them, a girl with long brown hair, glasses, and a plaid shirt, and a young man in a white jacket, black shirt, and blond hair.

"Hey Nino," the girl said. "Who are the new guys?"

"Hi Alya," Nino said in greeting, before turning to introduce his new classmates, "these are Zane and Nathan. They just started school here."

"Well, it's nice to meet you two," she said, smiling.

Zane returned the favor, while Nathan remained silent. "Likewise."

"Hello, aren't you going to introduce me?"

The demand came from a girl in yellow, black and white, with bright blue eyes and an expression of annoyance. She walked up to the foursome and let out a grumble. "Honestly, how can the best student in the whole school be ignored by all the new people?"

"Chloe," Alya started, but the unfamiliar boy cut in. "They must not have seen you, Chloe, but it's always nice to have some new faces." He turned back to the brothers. "My name's Adrian, what're yours again?"

Zane saw Adrian was asking to help Chloe save face for not knowing the newcomers names, so he simply said "Oh, sorry, I'm Zane, and this is Nathan."

"Good to meet you both," Adrian responded with a knowing smirk.

"Thanks."

"These guys just moved in," Zane heard Nino tell Chloe, "Didn't catch where they're from, though."

At that moment, however, another girl came sprinting into the classroom, and promptly crashed into Zane, who fell into Nino, who bumped into Nathan as all four teens fell to the floor.

"Oh, sorry, sorry," she said, picking herself up and attempting to collect her scattered supplies.

Zane stood, straightening his glasses, while Nino also rose, now wearing a sheepish expression. Nathan however, remained on the floor, slightly stunned by the recent collision.

Adrian smiled at her. "It's OK, no harm done."

The girl looked up, saw who was speaking, and gasped.

"A-A-Adrian!, I, uh, I-I don't, er, didn't see you there!"

She fell silent, blushing furiously, before backing up and tripping over Nathan, who had only just managed to regain his footing. Both toppled once more, and Zane heard a crack, followed by a sharp gasp of pain. He looked over to see his brother holding his hand to his head, wincing, as the late girl incoherently attempted to apologize.

Zane turned back to the others, who were watching the pair of hapless teens struggle to stand again, before turning back to the others.

"Is this normal around here?"

As class finished, Zane looked around in surprise. He hadn't expected time to class so quickly, and now he could see students leaving for home. He saw Adrian and Chloe both exit the classroom, followed by the clumsy girl from before. He smiled at the memory, though couldn't help but feel a little pity for her.

As he watched, Alya and Nino both also got up, and Zane had a sudden thought. He quickly got up and approached them, thinking.

"Hey, Alya, do you know that girl's name?"

She looked surprised, and then a huge smile spread across her face.

"I should, she's my best friend."

"Really?" Zane said in surprise.

"Really," Alya said, "Her name is Marinette, and she's the best friend anyone could have. She's done more for this class than anyone."

"Hey!" A voice shouted, and Chloe came towards them.

"You know, I'm pretty amazing too. You could at least acknowledge that occasionally, Alya."

Zane was a little shocked at this statement, but Alya just grinned.

"Oh, I do, just not when you don't act like it."

Chloe pouted at this, arms crossed. "Come on, if it weren't for me, the whole city would be doomed. You know that."

Zane couldn't help it, he laughed at the same time Alya started to respond, causing her to look at him in confusion. Chloe, however, looked more annoyed than ever.

"What, you don't know that I've saved Paris? Come on, everyone knows that."

Zane chuckled at the odd remark, before sobering at the look on Chloe's face. It was a mixture of anger, disbelief, and annoyance all in one, surprising in a girl who had just made a ridiculous claim.

"Chloe," Nino spoke up suddenly, "We all know Ladybug and Cat Noir saved the city, even when Queen Bee tried to help."

Chloe simply pouted once more, "You don't know anything, Queen Bee is a master of combat and stealth. I just had to take a beauty rest while Ladybug took care of the riff-raff."

"Sure," said Alya, now grinning at her once more, though with a sideways glance at Zane's confused expression. "Well, it's not like Ladybug's going anywhere. That's what's so amazing about her."

"Excuse me…" Zane asked, now very curious and concerned, "But what are you taking about?"

All three turned to look at him, noticing his bafflement at their discussion.

"Oh, right," Nino quickly said in understanding, "You just moved in."

Alya gasped, and then groaned. "So, you don't know about Ladybug? Boy, have I lost my touch."

Zane tilted his head a little. "Is she a hero or something? You said she saved the city with this Chat Noir guy."

"Yeah," said Nino. "She did-"

"With my help!" Chloe cut in.

"Yes thanks, Chloe," Alya sarcastically responded, before speaking to Zane once again.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir are basically our resident superheroes. They protect the city from supervillains called akuma who try to hurt people. I run a blog about it all, look."

Alya pulled open her laptop and scrolled to her web browser, pulling up a website about Ladybug and Chat Noir, called the Ladyblog. As Zane looked, he noticed two things. One, footage and videos of Ladybug fighting these akuma were plentiful and came from many different sources and formats. And two, there seemed to be three years worth of the footage.

Zane looked back up, more confused than ever.

"So… there's a lot of videos," he said as he tried to process this new evidence.

Alya nodded. "Yeah, Ladybug's been protecting the city for a while. We're lucky to have her."

Zane just nodded, but then his brow furrowed once more. "But, it's all fake, right?"

Everyone looked at him in surprise, slightly stunned at his disbelief in the Heroes of Paris.

"No, they're real," Alya said slowly.

Zane shook his head. "Come on, everyone knows superheroes are fake, and these akuma sound like something out of a tv show. It can't be true."

"It must be nice," said a quiet voice from behind them, "Powers would make life much simpler. You wouldn't have anything to worry about."

Everyone turned to see Nathan Staring at the screen, mesmerized by the images of Ladybug and Chat Noir fighting to save the city, their weapons and abilities on full display, despite the ametuer quality of most of the website's content.

"I wouldn't be so sure," said Alya. "The akuma hurt people by preying on their negative emotions, turning them into monsters. Not only that, but they cause havoc until Ladybug and Chat Noir can stop them, and one appears at least every week.

"It happened to me once,' said Nino, now frowning, eyes downcast, "and I wish it hadn't."

"Do you remember anything?" Nathan quietly asked. "About having powers?"

"No, I forgot it all," said Nino, "But that's because akumatized people aren't in control. They become villains while transformed, led by Hawkmoth and under his thumb."

"Hawkmoth?"

Nino looked at him for a moment before responding, "He creates the akuma and sends them to fight. We don't know who he is or what he wants, but we all know he won't give up. That's what makes him so dangerous."

"Oh, please, like that it would happen to us now." Chloe said dismissively. "There's no way I could ever be taken by one of those akuma, and that's a fact."

Alya couldn't keep back a grin at that statement, "What about Antibug?"

Chloe bristled, "That was a one-time thing, and I've stayed really positive since then. Though not everyone can do things so well as me… or Queen Bee."

Zane just laughed, before noticing the others' concern.

"Come on," he said, now uncertain. "It's all fake, it's got to be."

"It isn't," said Alya.

"All true, man," confirmed Nino.

"Well," said Zane nervously, standing up and gathering his things, "I guess I'll just keep up with the blog. Thanks for the talk."

"Be careful," said Nino, smirking, "Don't want you getting lost again."

Zane smiled. "'Course not. C'mon Nathan, let's go." He turned to his brother, only to find empty seats and abandoned desks.

Zane frowned. "Any of you seen my brother?" he asked.

Alya and Nino shook their heads, but Chloe nodded.

"Yeah, he left just before you finally decided to. Didn't look very happy about the whole powers thing, but that's newbies for you."

Zane frowned, concerned.

"Where did he go?"

Nathan sat on the bench outside Collège Françoise Dupont and cried. He had hoped the Ladyblog was telling the truth, that there were heroes, so he could maybe be one and escape, but now he hurt more than he had ever hurt in his life. He missed his friends, his cousins, his teachers at school. His head still hurt from when he had fallen. He ached for the rolling hills and ponds, and the beaches and entertainment centers of home. He hated this city, and its "happy" people, too reliant on fake news about fake heroes. If he couldn't be happy, how could they?

But most of all, he hated his brother. Not only was Zane oblivious to the terrible fate they were both bound to, he had also abandoned him for these new friends of his. He hadn't tried to include him in their conversation at all, and now had Alya, Nino, Adrien, Marinette, and even Chloe, to talk to and spend time with. And he hadn't gotten a word in edgewise. He was so stiff and anxious about his forced classmates and school to say anything, to do anything, proving he was a powerless no one. A dry sob escaped Nathan's throat. Why couldn't _he_ have friends to hang out with? Why did _he_ feel so lost and alone?

Nathan buried his hands in his face once more, crying harder than ever. He never saw the purple butterfly approach, nor heard the gasps of those around him. He didn't feel the colorful creature land on and then enter his wristband. But he did hear a voice speak to him from an unknown source.

"Duplicator. I am Hawkmoth. Your brother has left you for his new friends, sparing no thought for how you would feel. Now, I give you the power to make friends of your own, and to show him just what true kinship should be. All I ask for in return is the Miraculous of Ladybug and Cat Noir. Do you accept this offer?"

The boy grinned through his tears as he was enveloped in purple.

"I do, Hawkmoth."

Zane was getting worried. Nathan had gone off crying after listening to Chloe's remarks, and now was nowhere to be found. Not only that, but everyone he talked to about akumas and superheroes seemed to believe they were real, _and _that it was normal. As Zane walked towards the entrance of the school, lost in thought, he remembered what Nino said about the akuma being attracted to negative emotions.

_Regardless of any fantasy villains, Nathan shouldn't have left so suddenly. Something's wrong. I've got to find him and make sure he's OK._

As he continued on towards the bus, head down, distracted, he bumped into someone standing not too far away.

"Oh, sorry about that," he said, looking up.

Duplicator smirked back, eyes twinkling.

He wore classic super hero attire, with a skin-tight body suit colored white and blue, and a black mask over grey skin. His boots were white, yet slightly larger than his feet. He bore no emblem, but his eyes were colored red and green, and were so distinctive as to render other identifying marks unnecessary. And he wore a strange device on his left arm, a counter of some kind, reading "1".

"Don't worry, brother," he said, smirking confidently, "You and I both know you don't pay attention to everything."

Zane stepped back in shock.

"Nathan?"

Duplicator grinned and shook his head.

"No, I'm his better part. My name is Duplicator, and soon, I will have all friends and brothers I need."

And right before Zane's eyes, Duplicator raised his device to chest level and twisted it with his free hand. Immediately, two copies of the masked villain materialized behind Zane, mirroring the original's pose before taking individual combat stances. Duplicator grinned all the wider.

"And now, we will ensure you feel all alone and lost, by taking you somewhere none of your new friends can never find you."

The trio then grabbed Zane and fled, bounding over rooftops and buildings to find a place to hide.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The abandoned train station lay to the side of the river Seine, unnoticed by most who passed by in their hurry to work, school, or play. It seemed empty, the roof partially caved in with windows missing, the atmosphere thick and heavy. The stench of rot and iron permeated the air like a plague. And in the center of it all, tied to a bench now covered with rust, Zane sat, unmoving, trying to come to grips with the reality of superheroes and villians. And the fact that his brother, his _brother, _had now become one of them.

Marinette arrived at her parents' bakery and went to her attic room. As she closed the trap door behind her, Tikki flew out of her purse and flitted to the window, yawning. Marinette noticed her fatigue and smirked at her.

"Tikki," she said, "Did you not get enough sleep last night?"

Tikki yawned again, before setting down on Marinette's desk.

"No, I was up thinking most of the night. About Hawk Moth, the akuma and when we'll finally stop him."

Marinette frowned. It was unusual for her kwami to think this way, with such concern about the future. She usually said that everything would be fine, and that if Ladybug and Chat Noir were there to help the city, Hawk Moth would be stopped. But to stay up all night wondering how to beat someone they had fought and defeated countless times seemed a little out of character.

"Tikki," Marinette said tentatively, "You make it sound like we're not doing it fast enough."

Tikki nodded and yawned again, before continuing. "It was something the Gaurdian said a few weeks ago, about Hawk Moth's powers. Don't you remember?"

Marinette thought about it for a minute, then gasped in realization as she recalled her visit to Master Fu.

It had occurred just after the latest akuma victim had been defeated, a young girl whose rage at her sister's dismissal during playtime had turned her into the Pretender, who could pretend to be anything she wanted and gain its abilities. Marinette had still been wincing from the villain's "tusks" as she mimicked an elephant when she arrived. The Guardian had noticed, and then asked Marinette to sit with him to discuss an important problem. He revealed that Hawk Moth was getting stronger, that his victims were somehow becoming more and more powerful, without knowing exactly why. He had asked her to be more wary in the future, and to find ways to practice combat outside of her costume, in order to better use her powers while transformed. Although Marinette had not yet found a way, she could remember Master Fu's look of worry as he described what could happen if Hawk Moth discovered new abilities and mastered them in his quest, before he asked her to be careful as she left.

"He said Hawk Moth was getting stronger and more dangerous," she said, "and that he may be learning to further master his powers. But why would that keep you up last night?"

"Because I wondered what would happen if Hawk Moth began to blackmail the city in order to obtain the Miraculous. It's not a pleasant thought, and I wondered," she shuddered, eyes down in worry, "And I wondered if he might try it soon."

Marinette couldn't help but shiver at the thought, it was so disastrous. If Hawk Moth used the city against her, she would face an impossible choice. A terrible choice. And if it had Tikki so worked up, what would that mean for her?

She shrugged it off with a smile and spoke to Tikki once more. "Well, he hasn't yet, so let's just focus on the things he does try."

A stray thought floated across her awareness, and she turned to Tikki in question. "Did you catch the names of those new students from school today?"

"I didn't see them," Tikki said apologetically, "but I think the one you accidently tripped was called Nathan. His brother is Zane."

Annoyance flitted across Marinette's face. "I can't believe I forgot to ask them!" she said, "If they're new, I need to be able to welcome them to the school, not embarrass myself first try!"

Her thoughts were interrupted as something very fast leapt past her window, casting its shadow across her room. Throwing open the catch, she looked out and saw a blue and white figure heading away from the bakery with inhuman agility and grace, looking all around for something.

She gasped. "Tikki, I think there's an akuma out there!"

Tikki flew over, saw the masked villain, and nodded once in agreement.

Marinette turned to look at her friend, determination set in her eyes. "Blackmail or no, I won't let Hawk Moth hurt anyone. And besides," she said with a grin, "he hasn't stopped us yet. Tikki, spots on!"

Duplicator was getting anxious. It had been nearly an hour since he had received his powers, and fifteen minutes since he had finally found a place to hide his traitorous brother. Now, he could find no sign of Ladybug or Chat Noir, and his agreement with Hawk Moth rang in his ears as he ran. He could feel his other copies searching in other areas of the city, but with no luck. The police had tried to stop him once, he remembered wryly. He had simply jumped over the car and moved on.

Suddenly, a long, steel rod appeared in the road before him, and the villain nearly collided with it, saving himself with a twist and a spin, landing on its other side. He looked up to find its owner standing on the edge of a nearby roof.

"You know," said the black clad figure, holding the other end of the staff in place, "You're supposed to take the sidewalk."

He leapt down without fear or hesitation and began to walk towards Duplicator, twirling his staff nonchalantly.

"Then, of course," he said with a grin, "jaywalking seems to be your style. Have you been upsetting every traffic light and cop from here to the Lourve?"

Duplicator grinned, straightening while inwardly concentrating. "And you'd know all about that, wouldn't you, vigilante?" He took in the hero's cat-like ears, his slitted eyes, his bell and his staff, which was now held loosely in one hand. "You must be Chat Noir," he guessed. "Good to see you're as real as Hawk Moth said."

Chat frowned, "Lose your memory or something? I know akuma victims forget what they do while transformed, but this is the first time I've seen it the other way around."

Duplicator grinned all the wider, sensing nearby copies approaching Chat from behind.

"No, this is the first time we've met, but then again, it's the same for you. And," he said cockily, "your Miraculous will be mine soon, so you might as well give it to me before we break something."

The copies continued forward as Chat grinned wider, now standing ten paces and leaning on his staff. "Aw, really?" he said, inspecting his claws, "I'm practically purr-fect at this whole superhero thing. Not the breaking bit though, I'll give you that."

Duplicator said nothing, waiting. And then Chat's ears twitched, and he jumped away just before two sets of blue and white arms wrapped around him from behind, landing a short distance away. The copies turned towards him, while Duplicator himself stepped forward.

"You're out-numbered," he stated, holding out his hand. "There's no way you can beat us. Now give me your Miraculous."

Chat growled, and quickly lashed out with his staff, tripping the two copies before leaping away once more.

"Come and get it," he challenged, before running towards them, staff in hand.

All three Duplicators watched him charge, before turning to each other. They nodded simultaneously, and one leapt into battle while the others ran back the way they had come. However, another stranger stood in their way, bright red with black spots, and holding what looked like a yoyo in her right hand.

"Going somewhere?" Ladybug asked, determination in her voice.

Her opponents traded a look, and rushed towards her, causing her to leap back in surprise before swinging out with her weapon. It wrapped around the duo before they could attack, wrapping around them and binding them together tightly. As Ladybug watched, the third fell to the ground beside them, have been outdone by Chat's staff and reflexes.

"Hello, m'lady," Chat said, resting his staff behind his head in a relaxed stance, "Guess this akuma's joyride got arrested."

Ladybug huffed in annoyance, "You should stick with the cat puns, they suit you much more."

Chat assumed a mildy hurt expression. "You wound me, m'lady. I may just have to _claw _my way back to health."

Ladybug groaned at that but couldn't keep a grin off her face. Clearly relieved to have defeated this akuma so quickly, Ladybug turned toward her prize, only to find it had vanished. Not only that, _Chat_ was now blinking in surprise at the empty road where _his_ opponent had been.

"Well done," came a sarcastic voice from the end of the street, and the duo turned to see Duplicator clapping slowly at their victory. "You are stronger than I thought, and that yoyo, as impractical as it might seem, is a true weapon. However-" He raised his hand and twisted his device, causing three copies of himself to appear around him, all combat ready. "You'll have to do better than that."

The copies attacked as Duplicator fled, heading away from the stunned heroes. These copies were no more skilled than their predecessors, and fell rather quickly, vanishing upon their capture or defeat. However, once the last was gone, Duplicator was nowhere to be found.

"We lost him," said Ladybug in annoyance.

"Never fear, m'lady, I know just how to find him." Chat announced. He then vaulted onto a nearby roof with his staff, and leapt away again, heading after the vanished villain. Ladybug threw out her yoyo and quickly joined her partner, scanning the city for any sign of their quarry.

"There!" She said, pointing towards a chimney a few buildings away, behind which Duplicator hid, looking to the street below. As they arrived, however, he grinned and dissipated, leaving the tiled roof empty once more and greatly confusing the duo.

"Found him!" said Chat suddenly, pointing to another copy walking down the street to their right. When they blocked his route, however, he too vanished with a knowing grin, and a third copy waved from further ahead, before rounding a distant corner.

This pattern of discovery, confrontation, and disappearance continued for many streets and paths, leading Ladybug and Chat Noir on what felt like a wild goose chase. Eventually, they stopped, watching their latest target laugh at them from the top of an old warehouse by the river.

"This guy sure knows how to keep us waiting," said Chat, staring down the distant figure.

Ladybug nodded in agreement, before pulling back her arm and letting her yoyo arc out once more. "Yeah, but he can't run forever," she said as she jumped away and swung towards the old building, landing inside. It was empty, with no sign of Duplicator and housing nothing but disused equipment, a large, central dais of sorts, and many rusted benches and guard rails. As she tried to decide where she was, Chat landed next to her and looked around.

"Huh, an old train station," he said with interest. "Not much to hide behind here."

_He's right,_ Ladybug realized. This was indeed the center of a long-forgotten transportation center, long since fallen into dust and decay. Yet even as she looked, she saw movement from a bench nearby, and spun towards it, yoyo at the ready. It was a boy in glasses about her age, tied to his seat and staring at them in shock. He looked strangely familiar, and it hit her with a jolt. This was Zane, her new classmate! His first day, and he got kidnapped by an akuma!

"L-Ladybug?"

She nodded distractedly and looked at him more closely. "Yes, it's me. Are you hurt?"

He shook his head. "No, I'm not, but my brother-" he stopped, choking on his words, before continuing. "My brother's in trouble, you have to save him!"

"Don't worry," said Chat, walking up to him and deftly untying his bonds. "We'll find him, but now, we need to get you out of here." Giving the boy a closer look, Chat gasped in surprise. "Zane?"

The boy looked alarmed at this, but then resolve settled across his features and he fervently shook his head. "No, I'm not leaving him, but you have to stop him before he hurts someone, he's-" and without preamble, the boy stopped speaking as he looked up at a support beam nearby. As Ladybug and Chat Noir followed his gaze, they saw Duplicator standing high above them, grinning, before their vision swam with blue and white as close to a dozen copies jumped them from concealment all around, quickly immobilizing the duo.

"Did it never occur to you I might be leading you somewhere rather than simply running?"

Duplicator jumped down towards them, device held up and now reading "12". A purple symbol briefly appeared around his face before he spoke with triumph in his voice.

"Now, I will have your Miraculous, and these new friends and I will always be together, forever!"

He reached for Ladybug's earrings eagerly, but she twisted out of one copy's arms, backhanded a second, kicked a third, and flipped away, yoyo out. She used it to latch onto the support beam Duplicator had abandoned before swinging towards the huddle of copies, causing them to scatter and release Chat, who swung his staff wildy in a circle, further distancing his foes. They stood together, Duplicator and his "friends" all staring in shock at their escape.

"You might have brains," said Chat confidently, "But we have each other."

"And together," Ladybug declared, "We cannot fail!"

The copies charged, and battle commenced, Ladybug's quickly analyzing their options. However, every time she defeated an enemy, he simply vanished, only to be replaced. Soon, she and Chat were panting heavily while fresh opponents surrounded them, smiling evilly.

"Together," they said in unison, "you fall!"

But before Ladybug nor Chat could defend themselves once more, they heard a gasp and all but one Duplicator vanished. They turned around to see a copy stumble back in surprise, brick lying on the ground next to him, and Zane looking on, stunned, his arm pulled backed in preparation for another throw. Ladybug grinned at his determination to help them stop the akuma.

"He can only create as many copies as he can concentrate on," she realized, "Chat, keep him busy!"

"Right then, m'lady," Chat said, and he scooped up Zane before he could be injured, carrying him quickly with superhuman strength away from the fight. Before he could return to combat, however, Zane grabbed his arm. "The real one has a counter with a 1 on it, that's how they keep track of how many duplicates there are." He choked once more, eyes watery. "Please, help my brother," he implored.

"I will," Chat said, and leapt between Ladybug and her foes, now numbering around ten again. "Ladybug, look for the copy with a 1!" he said, before whipping his staff at the closest villain.

Ladybug nodded, and raised her yoyo, throwing it into the air with a cry. "Lucky Charm!"

A red and black spotted paintball gun fell into her hands, surprising her for a second before her expression cleared. She then looked around, noticing Zane, the rope, Chat, and the gun, before a plan formed in her mind.

"Zane!" she yelled, "you have to distract him!"

"What!?" shouted Zane, transfixed by Chat's valiant attempts to beat off a dozen or so assailants.

"Say something to him!" she repeated, before running towards the rope.

Zane looked scared for a second before taking a steadying breath and standing up.

"Nathan!"

Most of the Duplicates ignored him, but one looked 'round, fury in his eyes.

Zane gulped. "Nathan, please, don't do this."

The copy stepped aside, his fellows parting way, and began to walk to his brother.

Zane stared at him in terror, scared stiff at the sight of the monster that had claimed his friend, before pressing on. "C'mon Nathan, don't do this."

"I must."

One copy hit Chat in the head, causing a yelp of pain. Another tripped him, making him stumble before fighting on with a growl.

"I have more brothers than ever before. One's that won't abandon me for strangers."

Ladybug picked up the rope and began to run back to Chat, paintball gun at the ready. The copies swarmed him, causing him to be obscured by blue and white, red and green eyes intent on their prey. Duplicator stepped forward again, looming over his brother.

"And I intend to keep it that way."

And he was right in front of him now, and Zane couldn't breathe, he couldn't think! This monster had his brother!

And then something inside him clicked, and in a howl of desperation, Zane launched himself at the enemy, knocking him down in surprise.

"Ladybug, now!" He yelled, hoping, praying she had a miracle.

Which she indeed had.

As Zane's copy fell, she clearly saw the number "1" on his counter, and a relieved smile graced her face.

"Chat, catch!"

She threw the rope at him, which he saw flying through the air. With a heave, he escaped the vanishing knot of villains before grabbing the rope in mid-air, landing nearby. Duplicator stood again, angrily kicking away his brother, and Ladybug fired, filling the villain's vision filled with red and black, the paint soaking into every part of his suit. As he attempted to wipe the paint from his eyes, glaring madly from behind messy fingers, he saw Chat Noir blazing towards him, rope in hand. And as he raised his arm to call new copies to defend himself, Duplicator's wrists were seized with black-gloved grip, and tied together, preventing movement of any kind.

"Cataclysm!" grinned a triumphant Chat, and he destroyed the wristband, ejecting the akuma.

"No more evil-doing for you," Ladybug stated, catching up to her partner. "Time to de-evilize!"

She swung her yoyo once more, expertly intercepting and retrieving the fleeing akuma, before releasing the purified insect to the empty hall.

"Bye-bye butterfly," she said in relief, before thumping fists with Chat. "Pound it!"

"Ugh…", came a confused groan from nearby.

They turned to see Zane holding his brother close, crying, as the former villain looked around at his surroundings.

"I thought you were lost," Zane said, crying harder than ever, before looking up at Ladybug and Chat Noir. "Thank you so much."

"No worries," Chat said, smiling and shrugging in a carefree way, "it's all in a day's work." Ladybug also smiled at them and threw her paintball gun into the air with a yell, repairing all the damage caused during the fight in a wave of magical insects.

Zane grinned weakly at the sight, before looking back at his brother and hugging him. Ladybug watched with her own smile still in place, before a sudden beeping alerted her to her pending de-transformation.

"Oh, I have to go!" she said hurriedly.

Zane focused his gaze on her. "Now?"

"Yeah," said Chat, his ring beeping insistently, "Our transformations only last so long, so we have to leave to keep our identities secret. Ladybug insists."

Ladybug scoffed at this before turning to Zane again. "Don't worry Zane, he'll be fine. Just watch out for an akuma from now on, alright? I don't want you getting hurt."

"OK," he said, before looking back at his brother.

Ladybug and Chat left then, exiting the way they had come, and Zane studied his brother, who was weeping silently. Zane then gazed around at the empty station and realized something that shocked him just as much as the fact that superheroes and villains were real.

It was that both heroes, Ladybug and Chat Noir, and somehow known his name! But how? He had only been in Paris a week!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"_Ladybug and Chat Noir Save A Runaway Bus!"_

"_The Akuma: Gone or Dormant?"_

"_Hawk Moth's Mysterious Silence Explained!"_

These and similar headlines had been the subject of every wild rumor and strange theory flying around the City of Lights in the wake of Duplicator's defeat. It had been almost a month, and not one akuma had shown itself, leaving Paris strangely peaceful.

Yet Nathan couldn't shake his responsibility for what had occurred, nor his shame at kidnapping his brother.

Zane had repeatedly told him the akuma had done those things, but Nathan knew that was wrong. If not for him, Zane would have been safe, and his newfound thirst for knowledge about the akuma and Paris' superheroes would be curiosity, not concern. Nathan was responsible for that. But he couldn't make it right.

He sighed in his seat, watching the city roll by, and remembered the first few hours after waking up in that train station. Once Ladybug and Chat Noir had left, Zane had called Dad and gotten them a ride home. After a long discussion about the akuma and their reality, Zane had blurted Nathan's role in that day's attack. He'd been humiliated and couldn't speak. Their parents had just watched in amused disbelief before turning to the TV for the evening news.

Watching after-action reports of the blue and white villain prowling the city hurt a lot more than he had expected.

The weeks that followed didn't help. Although his classmates seemed to not mind, he knew they thought he was weak. His brother had tried to get him to talk about why the akuma chose him, but Nathan couldn't bring himself to admit it.

What if Zane rejected him because he didn't feel the way he did about their new life?

Nathan lowered his head onto his arms as he stared out the window.

_It wasn't like he could talk about it, _he thought.

School was the same as ever; people were laughing and talking together, going to their classes and complaining about today's overcast weather. As Nathan followed his brother off the bus, he saw Marinette running inside before she spotted Alya, greeting her as they walked to class. To his other side, Zane had found Nino and Adrian, with Chloe attempting to step into their conversation, as always.

He sighed, then pulled up the hood on his dark jacket and moved on before halting suddenly. His way was blocked by an unfamiliar girl in a gray shirt and orange blazer.

"What's with the glum face?" she asked, smirking.

He scowled and made as if to move past her, but she stepped into his path, cutting him off again. Now annoyed, he headed past her once more, only to be stopped again without hesitation.

"What do you want?" he asked, frustrated.

"Just to know why you look so angry," she responded, "after all, a little anger never hurt anyone."

He glared at her. "You don't know what you're talking about," he said, remembering his brother's expression of fearful relief from the train station.

She simply smirked back, "Sure, I don't, but I bet you do."

"Leave me alone!" He pushed past her and started to stalk towards the stairs.

"It's pretty amazing, having that kind of power."

Nathan stopped cold as his emotions drained in a rush. _What_ had she just said?

He turned to see her wearing a knowing grin, before stepping towards and then past him on her way to class, leaving him very confused and more than a little nervous.

Adrian was having a very good day.

No akuma? No problem. The new classmate? Great guy, he wished he'd met him sooner. Marinette?

He paused, staring at the girl in question.

"Marinette?"

She mumbled something distractedly, eyes still glued to her notebook, which was full of new sketches. He smiled before moving to get a closer look.

As his shadow fell over the drawings, she gave a start and looked up. Gasping in shock at who was looking at her art, Marinette hastily stood, tripping over the chair leg before Adrian caught her hand before she could fall. He helped her back to her feet as she blushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry, Adrian," she said, picking up her pencil, "I didn't see you there."

He gave a smile, and said, "Don't worry about it, I should have given you some warning."

He then looked down at her notebook and couldn't help but be impressed by the details and attention Marinette had given the concepts and ideas on the page.

"What's this for?" he asked, indicating his find.

"Oh, that's just some stray thoughts I had to capture. They're not very good, I'm afraid."

Adrian shook his head. "No, they're excellent," he said. "Just goes to show why Jagged Stone picked your design for his glasses."

Marinette smiled at the memory, before her expression became thoughtful.

"You know, that was a pretty exciting day, with the akuma trying to stop everything. Makes you wonder why…" She trailed off again, thinking.

After a few moments, Adrian asked, "Why… what?"

Marinette hesitated for a moment, and then opened her mouth to respond.

"Adrian!"

Chloe came over to them from her desk, Sabrina in tow as she ignored Marinette's annoyed expression.

"I need your help with the school project! We're supposed to write a multi-page report on an important current figure, but _we're_ going to write an entire biography and blow everyone else's sad little posters out of the water!"

She grinned and raised both hands to the air. "And it's going to be all about me!"

Adrian smiled, chuckling. "Chloe, I think Ms. Bustier meant a current _public_ figure. You may be the mayor's daughter, but you don't show up in the news that often."

Chloe pouted at him, frowning. "Oh, come on, I'm plenty public."

"Well," said Marinette, "It's just that we're supposed to make our projects about famous people, like Jagged Stone."

"Well, I don't see how that doesn't include me," Chloe said dismissively, clearly uninterested. "Who are you going to make your project about then?"

"That's a secret," Marinette said. "You'll have to wait to find out."

"Hmph."

"Wait, hold on," Adrian said, remembering. "Marinette, what were you about to say?"

"Oh, it was nothing," she said, seeing Alya take her seat as Ms. Bustier walked to her desk. "Don't worry about it."

At a nearby desk, Zane and Nino were discussing something in hushed tones as the leaned over Zane's notebook.

"I'm telling you; they knew my _name_." Zane whispered urgently.

"Zane, give it a rest, they know lots of people's names. They've saved more than half of the city at some point or another." Nino responded.

"After never meeting them, and having just moved in?" said Zane, incredulously. "How is that possible?"

Adrian just grinned at that. _If only you knew, _he thought_._

He then saw Nathan take a chair away from Zane and the others before turning away from them and pulling out his supplies. He frowned, worried about his friend's brother. Nathan hadn't been the same since Duplicator had been defeated and had only remained silent over time. Not to mention he had no interest in hanging out with anyone from the class, preferring instead to ignore everyone.

_Although, _Adrian thought, reflecting on the train station battle, _he might just be trying to recover from it all. It really stinks to be akumatized the same day you learn about them._

Class went as expected: Lila tried to lie to Kim about something before Alya confronted her, Chloe attempted to turn a class discussion to her exploits as Queen Bee, and Zane continued to write in his notebook, clearly distracted. However, given these were not the worst problems one could deal with, the day ended without a hitch.

Adrian had to smile at it all, despite the hurdles of school life. Who would have thought Hawk Moth's silence would bring such peace?

The Agreste mansion was quiet. The steel sky above cast a grey pall over the entire structure, shadowing the whole building in a dark cloud. And inside a pitch-black chamber, deep within the edifice, a man dressed in violet stood in thought.

A door opened, letting a sliver of light enter the room, and Nathalie entered, concern written across her face. She saw the solitary figure in his accustomed place and approached. As she did, the observatory windows opened, letting what little light there was outside shine on them both.

"Gabriel?"

The figure made no movement, but Nathalie knew she had been heard. Then he turned his head fractionally towards her.

"Nathalie." He looked back at the bleak view through the window.

"Why do my akuma fail time and again, Nathalie?"

She hesitated. She had never heard him talk like _this_ before.

"Well sir," she said, slowly, "It might be because they're just no match for Ladybug and Chat Noir."

"No." He turned to face her fully. "My akuma match them in strength and wit, and not one has been defeated by a single foe."

He looked back outside in thought.

"But when they work together, they always find a way to stop me. No matter what I send, their partnership triumphs against all odds."

He then closed his fist in anger. "This must stop."

"But how?" said Nathalie. "We can't stop them without sending an akuma, and then both will come to protect the city. How do we stop?"

"We don't. We _change._"

She moved into his view, determined.

"If we keep trying," she continued, pressing forward. "We _will_ get the Miraculous. You just have to be patient."

He smiled down at her. "Thank you, Nathalie, but I have another way to get what I want." And from the air nearby, hundreds of white butterflies suddenly flew into view, three of which fell upon Hawk Moth, one on each shoulder and another on his cane. With a gasp of shock, Nathalie watched as all three began to change, rapidly absorbing the purple energy from Hawk Moth's Miraculous before remaining in place, fluttering peacefully.

"Gabriel…" Nathalie said in shock. "H-How did you do that?"

"I have not been idle these last weeks," he responded. Growing contemplative, he placed both hands on his cane, the akuma there fluttering up to join its companions. "This is what I have been doing."

He grinned, before continuing.

"Ladybug herself gave me the idea, through Duplicator's masterful trap. She said that, together, she and Chat Noir cannot fall. And yes, any akuma I send will be overcome by their combined strength. But Duplicator exposed their weakness. By allowing Chat Noir to fight the akuma alone, even for a few moments, Ladybug almost lost her partner. And that is something worth learning."

He turned back to the open sky, all three akuma fluttering around him.

"And now, I can separate them without their knowing, and claim the Miraculous one by one. By sending the akuma to capture them when they are alone, I can finally achieve my designs. But in order to do so, I will need to know who they are."

Nathalie stared in surprise at this information. "You mean, discover their civilian identities?"

Hawk Moth nodded. "Ladybug and Chat Noir will always face and defeat my champions, even when faced with hundreds. And even alone, they are a force to be reckoned with. But without their powers, they can do nothing. And the way to ensure that is to prevent them from fighting at all. And once Ladybug and Chat Noir have fallen to my deception, nothing will stop me from seizing their Miraculous once and for all!"


	4. Chapter 4

Stronger Together Chapter 4

Jeremy was nervous and tense as walked along his usual route toward the public library. His eyes scanned the street around him, looking for any sign of trouble, not that he was scared, per se, just cautious. As he neared the grand center of learning, he relaxed. _They hadn't come today_, he thought.

"Hey, loser!"

Jeremy cringed. _It's happening again._

He then turned to see James, Nick, and Roland bearing down on him, smiling in a predatory sort of way.

"What are you doing here, Jeremy?" said James. "Don't you know the library's for big kids, not runts like you?"

"Yeah, Jeremy," said Roland. "You know you shouldn't be here with the smart kids, the ones who can actually lift those big, heavy books."

"Um, that's actually not…" said Jeremy.

"Shut up," said Roland.

"What do we have here?" said Nick, stepping forward to examine the stack of books Jeremy carried. "You trying to be smart, Jeremy? Ahh, that's so cute." He then put is hand under the pile of volumes and shoved them up, hard, scattering paper and text all over the sidewalk.

James and Roland laughed at this as Nick grinned maliciously. He leaned in close and spoke something to the poor boy, before turning away, smiling wickedly as he and his companions left their victim crying on the sidewalk.

He couldn't speak, the last words of the bullies ringing in his ears as he knelt there in tears. And when a purple butterfly came into view and landed on the book in his hands, he neither noticed nor cared.

"Bookworms always fall to the birds."

Inside Zane's living room, carboard display boards, scissors, and glue dominated the coffee table, with markers, scattered pages, and Zane's notebook scattered haphazardly every which way. Zane himself sat in the center of his couch, attempting to remember everything Alya had told him about Zombizou and how Ladybug had defeated her, using both his notes from the conversation and the Ladyblog for reference.

He sighed. He just couldn't let it go, could he? Ever since Zane had been addressed by his name by the two Heroes of Paris, he hadn't seemed to be able to stop thinking about them and how they knew him. And although he had no leads into their secret identities, something he tried very hard not to investigate, he couldn't stop wondering. They had to have met outside the costume within a week of moving in. That would include the movers, his neighbors, the owners of that fantastic bakery near the school, or someone inside the school itself. But who-

_Stop it, you're doing it again, _a warning thought interrupted, cutting off his train of thought. _They want to stay secret, remember?_

_Right, right, _he remembered wearily, returning to his project. _At least I can research them for this._

A knock at the door heralded the arrival of his partners in crime, or at least, for the assignment he was working on. Getting the door, he saw both Nino and Adrian standing outside. Opening it wider, he was about to invite them in when a mighty crash came from behind him. Turning round, he saw what seemed to be a storm of paper swirling around in a strong wind just outside the window. And at the center of it was…

"I gotta go," said Adrian hurriedly, "Sorry guys, maybe we can do this another time."

"Yeah man," said Nino nervously, watching the figure in the center of the tornado turn away from the apartment building.

"What?" said Zane, "But it's leaving, we'll be safe here-" He turned and Adrian was gone.

"Huh," he said blankly, "Where did he go?"

Nino shrugged. "Dunno, he always just disappears right before an akuma attack. He's really good at it, too, I've never seen him around one of those things."

"But he could get hurt!" said Zane, remembering his brother's broken sobs and his own terror when held prisoner. "I'm going after him."

"What!?" exclaimed Nino, "No way, it's too dangerous."

"I'm not letting anyone else I count as a friend get hurt by Hawk Moth or his victims," Zane spat. "Come on!"

Adrian sped off toward the nearest alley while keeping an eye on the distant figure, which was getting further and further away as he ran. He eventually turned into it and ran halfway through, Plagg flying out of his jacket once they were alone.

"So," Plagg said to his friend, "Another day, another akuma. Makes you wonder why Hawk Moth even tries anymore."

Adrian grinned at this. "Plagg, don't tell me you're getting bored of all this."

Plagg just turned away. "Well, it's not like Hawk Moth's ever taken the Miraculous, so why not? Akuma shows up, we take him out, Hawk Moth is foiled, wash, rinse, repeat." The kwami huffed in annoyance. "Would it hurt him to change things up once in a while?"

"Come on, Plagg," said Adrian, grinning, "I love action as much as the next guy, and there's always plenty where the akuma are involved, but we need to protect these people from anything the new one tries. Ready?"

"Oh, I guess," said Plagg, although he couldn't keep a note of anticipation out of his voice.

"Plagg, claws-"

"ADRIAN!"

Adrian choked off the phrase as Plagg quickly swooped into his jacket once more. He could see Zane running to him from who knows where, Nino trailing a few feet behind.

"Thank goodness I found you, come on, we gotta go!"

"What?" said Adrian, still shocked by Zane's sudden appearance.

"We gotta get away from the akuma," he continued, "Let Ladybug and Chat Noir take care of it, you know, but keep you safe."

Uhh…

"I told him you go hide whenever an akuma shows up," Nino said, panting, "but he insisted we find you before something happened. You alright?"

"Y-Yeah, I'm fine." _Now what?_

Zane looked relieved, "Good, now let's go back to the apartment. We'll be safer inside."

Adrian thought quickly. He had to go fight the akuma, but now Zane wanted to keep him safe. What to do?

He watched as Zane and Nino start running back the other way, without looking back to see if he was following, and his solution presented itself. "Sorry, guys," he muttered, before turning away and running in the opposite direction.

The fight had been going for a while when Chat finally arrived. Ladybug had already summoned her Lucky Charm, a large leafblower, and was holding the Bookworm off with it, causing his pages to scatter out of control. And despite Bookworm's ability to immobilize people by covering them in paper, he couldn't seem to cover her flipping and dancing form.

"Never fear, m'lady, help is here," he said as he dropped beside her in a battle stance.

She gave an exasperated smile. "Don't you ever stop joking around?"

"Hey, don't say that, I might just turn over a new _leaf_."

She grinned and hefted her leafblower once more, pointing at the floating Bookworm.

By thus blowing away Bookworm's pages, and by locating and destroying the large and heavy looking tome in his right hand with Cataclysm, Ladybug and Chat Noir freed the akuma and its prisoners, returning everything to normal. After repairing the damage and sharing their traditional fist bump, Chat turned to his Lady, smiling widely.

"Another day, another akuma. Good thing we're on the job," he stated.

"Yes, but don't get cocky," she replied, grinning, before a sudden beeping reminded them both about their impending de-transformation.

"Sorry kitty, but I've got to run," she said, throwing out her yoyo and catching onto a nearby roof.

"No problem," Chat said, "Maybe we should do this again sometime."

She smiled at the jab, before leaping away and falling out of sight.

Zane was worried and scared for Adrian. Despite his attempt to bring him to safety, he had still disappeared, just like Nino had said, and although Zane could see Adrian's response to akuma attacks had merit, it didn't stop the feeling that something bad had happened. When the news Chat Noir and Ladybug had defeated Bookworm, pure relief flowed through him, and he called Adrian to make sure he was alright.

No response.

Frowning, Zane tried again. Once again, he got no response. However, he did hear a knock on the door, and opening it, he and Nino saw Adrian standing there, flushed and grinning at them.

"Where were you?" The question was out of Zane's mouth before he could stop it.

"Oh, hiding, like always," Adrian responded, his smile faltering a little as he said it.

"Where? We could have stuck together and been safer from the akuma."

Adrian hesitated.

"It's fine," he responded, smiling nervously, "It's just that I like hiding alone most of the time. Keeps the akuma from finding multiple people if they find me."

"That kinda makes sense, I guess." Nino responded, but Zane remained silent, brow furrowed, before deliberately thinking about the abandoned project instead of Adrian's comment, and inviting him in once more. As they worked, however, he couldn't help thinking about Adrian's hesitation when describing his hiding place.

_He's sure hiding something,_ he thought. _What? Why?_

Inside Hawk Moth's observatory, Nathalie wondered.

"Why did you only send one?" she asked.

"To allow Ladybug and Chat Noir to think they're winning," he responded, turning to her.

"I do not yet have allies with whom to trap them and claim their Miraculous. Soon, however, I will, and we will show the heroes we can be stronger together."

He then opened his phone and dialed a number, bring it to his ear. After a few rings, he got a response.

"My dear, it is time. Meet me tonight, and you will have your revenge on the girl who has wronged you. Do you still remember where to find me?"

A pause, and then Hawk Moth grinned.

"Excellent," he said, and then hung up, smiling.

Lila also hung up, a smirk on her face, before looking up at the boy nearby, who had been about to ask her a question before she had taken the call. He paused, waiting for her to say something.

She complied without hesitation. "So, Nathan, you were saying?"

Nathan swallowed. "You said you knew what it was like to have powers?"

Lila grinned all the wider.

"I have a friend that helps me with that and helps me remember it. In fact," she said, leaning conspiratorially towards him, "I'm going to talk to him again tonight about something very important to us, and maybe to you, too. Would you like to come?"


End file.
